F i o r i A r r a b b i ata
“I eat the fiori arrabbiata almost
every day. The noodle has a great
bite to it. The arrabbiata is a spicy
tomato sauce, and we add a little
mascarpone. It’s so simple.”

W i l d B oa r
Pa p pa r d e l l e

chef of the year

KATIE COLLIER
B l ac k S pag h e t t i
“The black spaghetti is for sure [the
most popular menu item]. It’s a squid
ink spaghetti made in-house with a
simple chili-lemon-butter sauce, plus
clams, scallops and prawns, and then
we top it with salmon roe.”

“I change the menu pretty
intensively every year and get rid
of a lot of stuff, but I’ve never taken
off the fiori, the black spaghetti and
the wild boar pappardelle. There
are certain items that if we took
them off, there would be some upset
regulars. I want people to have
something comforting that they
always know they can get.”

Katie’s Pizza & Pasta Osteria chef-owner Katie Collier
has scaled the culinary heights by keeping things simple
and letting her food do the talking. This less-is-more
aesthetic has garnered her the title Chef of the Year
for the second year in a row. “We like highlighting one
specific ingredient and let it shine with good sauce or
good pizza dough,” Collier said. “That’s how I like to
eat.” Here are some of the go-to dishes that keep fans
flocking to her restaurants. – Matt Sorrell
9568 Manchester Road, Rock Hill, 314.942.6555;
14171 Clayton Road, Town & Country,
636.220.3238, katiespizzaandpasta.com

T e d ’ s M e at b a l l
Pizza

PHOTOS BY IZAIAH JOHNSON

“Pizza-wise, the Ted’s Meatball
Pizza is definitely our most
popular. The meatballs have
pine nuts and pecorino in them,
then some San Marzano red
sauce and fresh mozzarella.”

Prosciutto
Spring Roll
“From the original Clayton Road
menu, we brought back the
prosciutto spring roll – a piece of
prosciutto wrapped around some
vegetables and fresh mozzarella
topped with balsamic. I forgot how
popular those were. Every table is
Readers’ Choice
2018
getting
them.”

saucemagazine.com I SAUCE MAGAZINE I 5

6 I SAUCE MAGAZINE I saucemagazine.com

Readersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Choice 2018

18,000
pizzas delivered daily

5 t o 15
average pounds gained by new
employees (but who’s counting?)

100 million+
pounds of Provel used

5¢

yo u r fa v o r i t e p i z z a

IMO'S
PHOTOS COURTESY OF IMO'S PIZZA

When you want to grab a slice in The
Lou, Imo’s Pizza probably comes to
mind first – it’s your Favorite Pizza
winner for good reason. The first Imo’s
opened in the Shaw neighborhood in
1964. Now, the restaurant chain is one
of the most prominent in Missouri,
synonymous with St. Louis-style pizza.
Here’s what it takes to produce all
those Provel-topped pies, by the
numbers. – Lauren Healey

the original imo's
imospizza.com

what president Carl Imo wishes he
got every time he had to explain
what Provel is

In 2011, David Choi
booked a one-way ticket
to the East Coast to buy
a food truck. The guy
wanted $40,000 for it.
“$18,000,” Choi said.
“$35,000.”
“$18,000,” he repeated,
explaining that was
everything he had.
“About 30 minutes to
an hour into our ride
back to D.C., the guy
called and said, ‘My
wife says she’s gonna
kill me if this thing isn’t
out of my driveway.’ I
turned back around and
drove the truck all the
way home.”
Seven years later, Choi
stands atop Seoul Taco’s
mini-empire, complete
with two food trucks,
five restaurants and
enough Readers’ Choice
Awards (Favorite Food
Truck, Favorite Korean,
second Favorite Tacos
just this year) to prove
a cult following. So,
what’s happened since
he poured every penny
he had into that first
truck, and what’s next
for the 33-year-old
restaurateur?

PHOTO BY ASHLEY GIESEKING

“At first, it was really
just trying to create
something where Korean
food would be more
accessible in St. Louis.
At that time, Roy Choi
was doing his thing in
L.A. All my free time
was traveling, eating and
trying different cuisines.
From there, it was missing
those experiences and
trying to cook them at
home.”

Readers’ Choice 2018

“Any Korean celebration
where there’s a
birthday party, holiday
or whatever, we’re
barbecuing something.
Whether it’s rain, snow,
sleet, whatever, we’re all
out there doin’ it.”
“I lived with a Puerto
Rican family, so I learned
how to cook rice and
beans, a few chimichurris
and things like – not
what you’re typically
accustomed to living in
West County.”
“We just opened up in
Chesterfield. Knowing
I was from that area, it
was just the icing on top
of the cake. I was like,
‘Bread Co.’s not there
anymore.’ I used to skip
class and go to that Bread
Co. all the time!”
“My parents and their
friends came here with
nothing. When you’re
growing up, you don’t
even realize the weight of
that – how much people
go through to open their
businesses, to even see
whatever success it is.
Man, I see now how hard
these people work, so I
gotta work just as hard, if
not more, to make it.”
“Day-to-day’s changed
a lot. It went from being
every role in the restaurant
to now it’s more coaching,
leadership and instilling
those practices from top
to bottom. I would hope
that every Seoul Taco has a
reflection of my character
and personality in it.”
“I can open up three
stores in three months,
which I’ve done before,
but that’s pretty crazy.
Maybe spread that out
a bit? That might have

helped a little bit. But
then again, who knows.
I might not have learned
from that.”
“I could go, I could wing
it, I could improvise on
the fly. But you can’t run
a business with 100plus employees by doing
that. Am I great at those
things now? No, but I’m
sure as hell a lot better
than I was before.”
“We have such a diverse
crowd. You have students
with backpacks, and
then you have people
with baby strollers. All
of them, you see on their
faces – they just enjoy the
food. And then you hear
Tribe Called Quest in the
background, and to me,
I think that’s so cool to
see.”
“Success would be
maybe opening into a
third market; I think that
would be huge. I want to
look into another market
that has a similar feel to
St. Louis and Chicago,
down in Texas or Atlanta.
Chicagoland has been
really good to us. I think
it makes sense to open
up a few more there as
well. And then possibly
another concept; I would
like to see that.”
“I think it’s easy for
restaurateurs and
different owner-chefs to
get bored of what they
do, but I still love every
minute of it. And I know
that there’s potential, and
I want to get it to where
it needs to be in order to
sort of fully let go and
start another concept. I
want to have that same
type of attention to detail
I did with Seoul Taco.”
– Stacy Schultz

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10 I SAUCE MAGAZINE I saucemagazine.com

Readersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Choice 2018

BUDGET
CRUNCH
BY KEVI N KO R I N E K // PH OTOS BY J U LIA CALLEO

french toast
at the shack

St. Louis has spoken; now it’s time to eat your way through the Sauce Readers’ Choice
winners list. Luckily, from golden fried chicken to crisp veggie wraps, some favorites
can be tried without breaking the bank. Everyone knows about Mission Taco Joint’s
amazing $2 late-night tacos, which won both Favorite Tacos and Favorite Happy Hour.
Here are 10 more favorites you can devour at a steal.
Readers’ Choice 2018

saucemagazine.com I SAUCE MAGAZINE I 11

Lulu’s Local
Eatery

Even the most ardent meat-eater
can find something to love at this
year’s Favorite Vegetarian/Vegan
spot. Lulu’s on South Grand
Boulevard serves imaginative,
healthy eats in a minimal space
accented by reclaimed wood,
natural light and a community
vibe. Pull up a seat on the dogfriendly patio and enjoy addictive
Buffalo cauliflower bites, banh
mi tacos and other fun dishes
less than $10, like the sushi
bowl made with compressed
watermelon “sashimi.” Bonus tip:
Ride your bike there, and flash
your helmet at the counter for a
cool 15 percent off.
3201 S. Grand Ave., St. Louis,
314.300.8215, luluslocaleatery.com

Aya Sofia

Aya Sofia, voted Favorite
Mediterranean/Middle Eastern,
will take you places you never
knew existed with a blend of
Turkish, Mediterranean and
Lebanese flavors. Like the food,
the digs have a Middle Eastern
influence with large, cushioned
chairs, a muted color scheme and
classic geometric patterns to set
the tone. Lunch is the way to go if
you’re on a budget. The kofte, beef
and lamb Turkish meatballs, are an
absolute delight available in a less
expensive wrap, or try your hand at
the grilled swordfish and lemon
kebabs. The lunch special is the
best deal with a generous plate of
hummus, tabbouleh, rice pilaf and
your choice of a chicken or beef
kebab for only $10.
6671 Chippewa St., St. Louis,
314.645.9919, ayasofiacuisine.com

Three Kings
Public House

Voted Favorite Beer Bar, Three
Kings has the best of both worlds
with a dynamic neighborhood
pub menu and quality craft on
tap. You can sample a wide array
of local and national brews,
crossing a few things off your
Untappd list while enjoying wings
and burgers built to satisfy. Pair

12 I SAUCE MAGAZINE I saucemagazine.com

a half-off Logboat Flybye saison
with house-made pub chips,
barbecue pork sliders or one of
the other $6 snacks on the happy
hour menu. The Loop location
offers a generous menu during
a late-night happy hour starting
at 10 p.m. with a kitchen that
doesn’t close until midnight.
Various locations, threekingspub.com

John D.
McGurk’s Irish
Pub & Garden

St. Louis’ Favorite Pub and
Favorite Patio this year, McGurk’s,
has served up whiskey in the jar for
40 years in downtown Soulard. The
patio can accommodate enormous
groups, or step inside the classic
pub to be transported to the
Emerald Isle. A narrow platform
at the end of the room serves as
a stage for traditional Irish music
that guarantees a foot-stomping
good time. Between band sets and
pints of Guinness, make sure to
sample the famous whiskey bread
pudding, topped with caramel
and raspberry sauce and slathered
in whiskey butter for just $6.50.
Come up with another two bucks
and get ice cream on top.
1200 Russell Blvd., St. Louis,
314.776.8309, mcgurks.com

The Shack

When you walk into The Shack,
the first thing you notice is the
writing on the wall. Waitstaff
encourage guests to make
their mark with free pens and
markers amongst all the couples’
names surrounded by hearts
and notes about favorite dishes.
The popular restaurant boasts
seven locations across the state
and has written its name on the
hearts of St. Louis diners, who
voted The Shack their Favorite
Breakfast and Lunch Spot. Funky
cereal milkshakes, omelets
bursting at the seams and massive
sandwiches are all served up with
silly names and large portions.
Try this month’s doozy of a
breakfast special: $3.50 for one
massive plate-sized pancake.
Various locations, eatatshack.com

House of India

It’s no surprise that House of
India won Favorite Indian food
in St. Louis. For over 20 years,
the Delmar restaurant has been
a favorite with food critics and
novices alike, rarely deviating from
its original strategy: offering solid,
classic Indian fare with a variety of
meat and veggie options and no
American substitutions. It’s well
understood in foodie circles that the
restaurant’s $9.50 weekday buffet is
the best way to spice up your lunch
hour. There’s no shame in loitering
until someone brings out a fresh
batch of naan. One taste of the
tikka masala or the chicken kabab
and the uninitiated will wonder
how the secret eluded them so long.
8501 Delmar Blvd., University City,
314.567.6850, hoistl.com

Hodak’s

Fried chicken is still having a trendy
moment in St. Louis, but Hodak’s
is the city’s first love when it comes
to deep-fried yardbird. The Benton
Park restaurant was voted this year’s
Favorite Fried Chicken with a
menu so budget friendly, you might
actually make money eating here.
Sandwiches come stacked high and
sides are copious, but we would
be remiss if we didn’t mention
the half golden fried chicken
plate for $9.50. The dining room
offers a relaxed, salt-of-the-earth
atmosphere, but at peak dining
hours, lines expand and available
real estate dwindles. Hunker down
at the bar and rub elbows with
fellow fried chicken enthusiasts,
washing down coleslaw and fries
with a frosty mug of beer.
2100 Gravois Ave., St. Louis,
314.776.7292, hodaks.com

Chava’s Mexican
Restaurant

For south-of-the-border flavors
without packing your bags, head
to St. Louisans’ Favorite Mexican,
Chava’s. Start with a fresh fruit
margarita, then take a deep dive into
a hot plate of fajita nachos with
chargrilled chicken and pico de gallo.
There is no shame in lingering over
the sizzling delights of the El Mierko

King and I is never one to
disappoint. That’s probably why St.
Louis has voted the South Grand
staple its Favorite Thai spot since the
inception of Sauce Readers’ Choice
more than 15 years ago. Step in and
bask in the intoxicating smell of Thai
spices, dark wood decor, soft lighting
and soothing atmosphere. Dinner
can be an elegant affair or a fast
takeout jaunt, but the best time to
enjoy The King and I on the cheap
is daylight hours. Don’t miss the
$10 dine-in lunch special: Choose
your preferred hue of delicious curry
(green or red) or a plate of pad Thai,
accompanied by your choice of
crab Rangoon or pot sticker and a
beverage.
3157 S. Grand Ave., St. Louis,
314.771.1777, kingandistl.com

Blues City Deli

They don’t call it Blues City Deli
for nothing. Voted Favorite Deli/
Sandwich Shop, this neighborhood
eatery hosts different live roots
and blues music every week. The
walls are cluttered with troubadour
artifacts, but music isn’t the only
thing that makes the joint hop
every weekend. The sandwich
board is unparalleled in town,
offering everything from barbecue
to New York-style pastrami to
po’boys stacked high and ready
to be devoured. While devotees
swear by the Memphis Stax pulled
pork and the muffuletta, you have
to try the Cubano. Made with
thick-cut ham and topped with
a delectable pineapple glaze, it’s
the Tuesday special and sells out
almost immediately at $6.
2438 McNair Ave., St. Louis,
314.773.8225, bluescitydeli.com
Readers’ Choice 2018

Since opening in January
2017, Hi-Pointe Drive-In has
become known for being
over-the-top in every way,
from the multicolor building
that looks like it’s made from
giant Legos, to the regular
menu of massive burgers and
sandwiches, to the kitchen’s
penchant for putting out
one-off crazy creations on
special daily. It’s this focus
on delicious fun and games
that has garnered Hi-Pointe
regular queues of hungry
diners out the door and the
title of Readers' Choice Best
New Restaurant. Executive
chef Adam Pritchett and his
crew juggle the chaos like it’s
just another day at the office.
– Matt Sorrell

What’s the most food one
person has ordered? “We
had a ‘competitive eater’
come in once. We made him
a 6-pound burger, a 40-ounce
malt and 2 pounds of fries.
He didn’t finish; we defeated
him.” – Brian Bethel, manager
What’s the best-selling menu
item? “The Taco Burger, our
joint venture with Mission Taco
Joint, for sure. It’s been on the
menu since the beginning. We
sell hundreds a day.” – Brian
Bethel, manager
What’s the most outrageous
special you’ve ordered? “I
think it was called the St.
Lunatic Burger. It had Imo’s
pizza for buns, and Red Hot

Riplets and toasted raviolis
in the middle. It was insane.”
– John Mordvar, friend of the
family

What’s one of the customer
challenges you face on the
regular? “Customers always
come in, and they want to
order something they saw
on Instagram, and they don’t
realize we change our specials
daily. I think we’ve repeated
only one or two in a year and
a half. We always try to make
them what they want if we
have the ingredients in-house,
though.” – Jason Scroggins,
general manager

What makes this kitchen
different than others you’ve
worked in? “Definitely the
creativity, especially with the
specials, that and the quality
of what we make. They’re really
open to ideas.” – Jhonetta
Phillips, cook

What’s your go-to order after
work? “I usually get the Frisco

What’s been the busiest day
at Hi-Pointe so far? “I think
the Saturday we opened was
the craziest day we ever had.
It was upwards of $17,000 [in
sales]. Figure the average
order at $15 a head.” – Adam
Pritchett, executive chef

saucemagazine.com I SAUCE MAGAZINE I 15

favorite diner
UNCLE BILL'S PANCAKE & DINNER HOUSE
The diner – a uniquely
American institution originally
designed to look like a railroad
dining car – continues to thrive by
providing affordable, comforting
food to the people. This year, Sauce
readers have declared Uncle Bill’s
Pancake & Dinner House, a joint
known for its sprawling menu
and round-the-clock service, their
favorite diner in town.
No one, not even morning breakfast
regulars, appreciates a diner as much
as those who stumble in at 2 a.m.
Uncle Bill’s is there when you shut
down a bar, work the graveyard or
have a red-eye flight. It had been a
good long while since my last visit to
Uncle Bill’s and equally as long since
I’d found myself out and about after

the witching hour. When I heard
about the accolade, I knew I had to
revisit this old haunt in the dead of
night.
As I drove south on Kingshighway
Boulevard on a late Saturday
night/early Sunday morning, I
remembered just how desolate this
stretch of road is after-hours. The car
dealerships and strip malls were all
dark; there were scant signs of life.
Then the Uncle Bill’s sign appeared
like an oasis, casting a pale light on
the building’s incongruous, Alpinestyle architecture.
A hostess dressed in an
otherworldly white pantsuit guided
me across the motel carpeting to a
booth in the corner without saying a

word. The waitress called me “hon’”
without a trace of irony when I
ordered my usual: eggs sunny side
up, a mound of hash browns, wheat
toast instead of pancakes and a
tomato juice.
The restaurant was maybe halffull but bustling and lively on two
seating levels with plenty of wood
paneling and some stained glass
windows to lend a little class. Like a
casino floor, time seemed to have no
meaning here. It was 3 a.m., but it
could’ve easily been noon as servers
in maroon Uncle Bill’s shirts worked
the floor in constant motion,
refilling coffee cups and delivering
plates stacked three to an arm with
balancing acumen as natural as
breathing.

As I waited for the food, I loaded up
my tomato juice with Cholula hot
sauce and surveyed the scene. When
I was still in the social whirl, Uncle
Bill’s was best known as an excellent
way end to a night out with plenty
of greasy goodness to soak up the
evening’s excesses. Perhaps longing for
my misspent youth, I was hoping to
witness some late-night debauchery.
The crowd this morning,
however, was surprisingly
sedate – the vibe more coffee klatch
than gritty Tom Waits ballad. Most
diners seemed to be just off work or
maybe fueling up for their next shift.
Couples and small groups talked
over stacks of pancakes and those
endless cups of coffee like they were
in breakfast nooks at home. Sure, a
few guests were dressed in clubwear,
rumpled and disheveled after a night
out. Some were a little unsteady on
their feet as they made their way
to the register, but there was nary a
sloppy “woo” girl or hammered bro
in sight. No one made even a small
drunken scene.

I’m sure there are still plenty of
nights at Uncle Bill’s when the crowd
is lit, but I wasn’t too disappointed
to miss that. It was nice to stretch
out in my solo booth, savor breakfast
and soak up the atmosphere. As
I polished off the last of the hash
browns – soft in the middle and
perfectly crisp outside – it sunk in.
Regardless of the building, or how
good the coffee is, the best diners
are beloved because they welcome
people from all walks of life to gather
and connect, no matter the hour or
sobriety level. – Matt Sorrell

F A V O R I T E
R E S T A U R A N T
olive
The executive chef of your
Favorite Restaurant didn’t
originally want to be executive
chef of any restaurant. The
media-shy chef took a chance
jesse mendica
during her “year of yes” and
has been quietly turning out
some of most innovative,
perfectly executed food in the
St. Louis area ever since. We
sat down with Jesse Mendica
to talk Webster Groves, Olive
& Oak’s ever-changing menu
and her very first restaurant
job. – Catherine Klene

How did the
re s t a u ra n t i n d u s t r y
hook you?

“I got the job [at Two Nice Guys]
and just being a part of a kitchen
and the camaraderie of it – it
charmed me right away. It wasn’t
even about the food. I’m the
pickiest eater there is. I started out
so picky, I wouldn’t eat anything.”

&oak
think my job is to be the person
who has the answers, to be the
person who makes the decisions,
but it’s not any more important
than anybody else.”

“We always said at the beginning,
‘We hope we’re as good for
Webster as Webster is for us,’ and I
think that relationship has worked
out great so far. We had somebody
write an email to us that said, ‘I
think since Olive & Oak moved
in, our property value has gone
up 25 percent.’ I know it’s a joke,
but just the idea that we’ve been
so good for the community and
people feel like their house is more
valuable being near us? That felt
great.”

Wh i c h c h e f s d o y o u
a d m i re ?

Ho w’s your first
executive chef gig
going?

“I eat a big salad out of a huge
bowl. It’s not even necessarily a
big salad, but it’s definitely a big
bowl. I know that it will be easy
to clean later, and I can really
toss it. … And a beer. Civil Life
Brown is my absolute favorite.
Beer or a rosé. You can’t get away
from rosé here, and I don’t mind
that one bit. We are a yes way
rosé place.”

“It’s super challenging and super
scary and overwhelming at first,
and then it just becomes the house
you’re running. You feel like the
mom of the house. I had two
dishwashers call me mom on two
separate occasions: ‘Mom, do you
know – Oh, Jesse! Sorry!’ … I

“Big-time chefs that I like to watch
and listen to and learn from a lot?
Jacques Pépin. ... He’s so great
to watch. To watch him bone
a chicken with only two cuts is
incredible. He makes it easy and
drinks wine the whole time and
he’s like, ‘Don’t even worry. This
is easy. The chicken wants you to
do it.’”

Wh a t ’ s y o u r p o s t shift meal?

Wh a t ’ s y o u r l e a s t
favorite part of the
job?

“The attention and having to be
interviewed by people about myself
– that’s probably the worst part of
all of it, no offense. It’s the worst.
People come in here and they’re
like, ‘Oh my God, we’re meeting
you!’ Yes, I’m just another person in
the room with you right now; this
is not a big deal. The weird big deal
that people put on it is probably the
hardest thing for me to get used to.”

Wh a t ’ s t h e n i c e s t
compliment a
customer has given
you?

“One person said, ‘I don’t even
eat cauliflower. I don’t like
cauliflower, but I know I’ll get it
because everything has surprised
me.’ To know that people trust
me enough to try something
they have verified they don’t like
– that’s pretty incredible.”
olive & oak, 102 w. lockwood ave.,
webster groves, 314.736.1370,
oliveandoakstl.com

23
Readers’ Choice 2018

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24 I SAUCE MAGAZINE I saucemagazine.com

Readersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Choice 2018

favorite brunch

PHOTOS BY JULIA CALLEO

HENDEL'S RESTAURANT

Anyone who has tried to get into Hendel’s Restaurant on a Sunday morning already
knows it’s St. Louis’ Favorite Brunch spot. From the crabcakes eggs Benedict to
the Southwestern omelet to the “Zing Zanged” House Bloody Mary, Hendel’s
proves that when it comes to brunch, classic makes perfect. – Heather Hughes
559 St. Denis St., Florissant, 314.837.2304, hendelsrestaurant.com